


She Stayed

by Aegrimonia



Series: Unwavering [2]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Seven deals with the consequences of his actions, Sort of Seven route spoilers?, Unrequited Love, but it works out, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:47:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28483389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aegrimonia/pseuds/Aegrimonia
Summary: “You did all of this thinking I didn’t love you?” Saeyoung stares at you in disbelief, voice muted with horror.His words only confuse you more—hadn’t you made that clear? That you would do anything for him,withhim, no holds barred and no expectations of anything in return?You set down the cans and fidget with the sleeves of your turtleneck, “I-well, yeah. I love you. I don’t need you to love me back.”——A sequel to Just for Tonight, but can be read standalone.
Relationships: 707 | Choi Luciel/Main Character, 707 | Choi Luciel/Reader
Series: Unwavering [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086374
Comments: 5
Kudos: 140





	She Stayed

**Author's Note:**

> This only took so long because I started hyperfixating on Minecraft youtubers, but I’m BACK baby! And I wrote several thousand words of Seven last night so expect to see more MM from me.

Sometimes, when he thinks about all you went through— _for him, for his brother_ —Saeyoung is amazed you’re still here, by his side, supporting him with your quiet, steady smile and lighthearted optimism. Even when he was pushing you away, you found a way to insert yourself into his life, leaving memories of you and him reaching perfection together that he knew he would never scrub from his mind.

He glances to the side, smiling faintly at your tired, curled up position in the passenger seat of the car. You catch his gaze and return the smile, mumbling a question.

“What’re you thinking about?”

Saeyoung shakes his head, his smile becoming more cryptic.

“We’ll be there in a few minutes, so try not to fall asleep alright? There’s a bed waiting for us at the safe house.”

You nod and shift in your seat to watch the passing landscape, fighting off the exhaustion the last few days had set in your bones.

——

Honestly, the safe house is in better condition then you’d expected. Perhaps movies and tv have filled your head with backwards ideas, but you’d half expected to show up at some ragged murder shack with creaking rotted wood.

Instead the small cabin is nice, if dusty, and Seven guides you inside with a gentle hand on your back. Once the two of you are situated in the silence, Seven pulls out his computer and begins typing away. You figure that’s your cue to head to sleep, but before you can make yourself comfortable on the couch, Seven calls out your name.

“Mc? Uh, before you sleep I just wanted to say thank you. For everything,” his eyes hold a fondness that surprises you, “If I had to do this alone...”

He doesn’t finish his sentence, but you don’t mind. Seven isn’t a man who’s meant to be alone; no matter how hard the path, you would be here.

You smile softly at the hacker instead of responding and he smiles back. Without another word you curl up on the couch and drift off to the sound of typing.

——

When morning comes it’s surprisingly peaceful. From what you can tell, Seven hasn’t slept all night, but he has taken breaks, as evident by the food prepared on the table.

As you shift out of your position on the couch he glances up.

“I made sandwiches. Not exactly breakfast food, but we were low on options,” Seven explains, watching as you stretch and walk over to the counter.

You gather your food and smile, “Thanks.”

Before long you’re sitting beside him as he works, eating quietly and making the occasional bits of conversation when he starts to get too frustrated with his work.

During one of Seven’s more talkative breaks you stand up again and start tiding up the room. Seven watches for a second before speaking.

“I’m never going to be able to pay you back for this. Staying with me even though I...”

The mindless cleaning must have gotten you more distracted then you thought because you finished his sentence without thinking, “Even though you don’t like me back?”

You start gathering up the cans of PhD Pepper, humming to yourself, “I mean, leaving because of that... it’d be pretty shallow of me, don’t you think?”

Seven is silent for a long time. When he speaks it’s cautious and confused, “I like you.”

Pausing in your tidying, you glance up, frowning when you see he’s stopped his work, “You know that’s not what I meant. You don’t _like_ me. Not like I...” you look away, “Not like I love you.”

The silence in the room is deafening. Maybe you weren’t as ready for this as you thought.

The tension has your shoulders tight, so when Seven finally speaks your eyes dart right to him.

“You did all of this thinking I didn’t love you?” Saeyoung stares at you in disbelief, voice muted with horror.

His words only confuse you more—hadn’t you made that clear? That you would do anything for him, _with_ him, no holds barred and no expectations of anything in return?

You set down the cans and fidget with the sleeves of your turtleneck, “I-well, yeah. I love you. I don’t need you to love me back.”

The sound that comes out of Saeyoung next is strangled and upset, startling enough to have you hastily adding onto your words.

“I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, it’s just that... I thought you knew, is all.”

“It doesn’t—“ Saeyoung stumbles, seemingly at a loss for how to approach this, “—It doesn’t make me uncomfortable.”

Tension eases away and your wobbly smile melts into one of relief. You tuck your arms around your waist—the hurt of being here, of loving him, has dulled over the days you’ve spent tracking down his brother, and the assurance that he’s willing to let you stay with him despite your feelings takes some of the stress off. A surge of gratitude rises up in you.

“Thank you.”

“...what?”

Saeyoung’s response is barely more then a whisper, but you forge on regardless.

“Most people wouldn’t want someone tagging along on something like this, especially if unrequited feelings are thrown in the mix. Thank you for letting me be here with you. I’m more then happy to—“

Your words are just off with a squeak as Saeyoung tugs you into his arms, tucking you under his chin and griping you with quiet desperation as he mumbles into your hair.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. You’ve been here for me this entire time and I didn’t even _think_ —“ his voice breaks, “—I didn’t even consider that you didn’t know.”

The confusion that swirled in the back of your mind before is now front and center as you shiver in Saeyoung grasp.

“Know what, Saeyoung?”

He pulls back, one arm keeping a tender grip around your waist and the other slipping under your chin—a loving reflection of how he held you less then a week ago before giving in to your demands.

Staring intently at you, so as not to be misunderstood, Saeyoung speaks words you hadn’t dared to even dream of.

“I love you.”

His grip tightens as he stares at you desperately, needing you to understand.

“I love you, MC. After all this, how could I not? I pushed you away to protect you, not because I didn’t care. I should never have dragged you out here without being certain you knew that.”

It feels like the floor has dropped out from under you, “Oh. You... you really... This isn’t one of your jokes?”

“No, no, I wouldn’t never joke about something like this. Not with you,” Seven adds hastily.

Tears start to well up in your eyes as you stare at him, stunned. Your hands dig into Seven’s shirt as you cling to him, still not quite able to believe what you just heard. When the tears start spilling over Saeyoung hastily wipes them away, cradling your head in his hands.

“Hey, hey, no crying okay?” Despite his words, Saeyoung’s eyes are glistening too, “This is good, yeah? I love you. I love you, and I swear I’ll never let you live without knowing that. Never again.”

You can’t stop crying, even when he asks you to because he _loves you._

It’s so much more then you had ever dared to hope and despite all of the hurt and suffering that came with you it, the only feeling left in you is joy. You would have stayed by his side regardless, heart stuck in an endless shattered state, but here he is, picking up those pieces, pulling them together and repairing each crack. 

The relief is so overwhelming you can’t even speak. You bury your head into the crook of his shoulder and Seven holds you as you cry.

When the tears have finally dried Seven lifts your chin kisses you, and this time, it tastes like heaven.


End file.
